Principal's Report
 South Fayette High School
September 14, 2006

From the Offices of Ann Bisignani, High School Principal
and Aaron Skrbin, Assistant High School Principal

In This Month's Report:

• SFHS GETS OFF TO FANTASTIC START!
• RESULTS ARE IN FOR FIRST YEAR OF NEW SAT FORMAT
• NATIONAL MERIT SEMI-FINALIST NAMED
• STUDENT GOVERNMENT, GRADE LEVELS ELECT OFFICERS
• STUDENTS SELECTED FOR 2006-2007 APPRENTICESHIPS
• GOOD NEWS DAY BY DAY
• HIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGS
• CALENDAR

SFHS GETS OFF TO FANTASTIC START!

The 2006-2007 school year got off to a fantastic start on Tuesday, August 22.  New academic challenges, new and old friends, freshly decorated classrooms and several new staff members greeted students to kick off what is sure to be an exciting year.  This year, enrollment at SFHS will top 600 for the first time in the school’s history as we add the class of 2010 numbering 152 young men and women.  This brings the total high school population to 623.  In addition to welcoming the class of 2010, SFHS is happy to welcome the following new staff members:

Kim Guthrie – English/Communications
Gary Smith – English
Meghan States-Veitmeier –English
Kevin Sutter – Guidance
Shelly Weaver – Spanish
Joe Winans – Chemistry
Erin Gurchak – Paraeducator
Heather Furno – Paraeducator
Sharon Hohn – Paraeducator
Ron Moncrief – Paraeducator
Leslie Willets – Paraeducator

2006-2007 will prove to be an exciting year for SFHS with the unveiling of the Dual Enrollment program which will offer juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credit in the high school.  Additionally, a new cross country and track program take to the field and we will feature the wildly popular “Disney’s High School Musical” on stage this fall in the Fayette Follies.  As always, there is always something new and exciting happening at South Fayette High School.  Please check the website and school calendar often for updates of all of the happenings at South Fayette

RESULTS ARE IN FOR FIRST YEAR OF NEW SAT FORMAT

Students taking the SAT at any time through April of 2006 were among the first to be taking the new version of the test that focuses on Critical Reading, Math, and Writing.  Below are the results for South Fayette students compared to those in Pennsylvania and the total group of students who took the test:

Number of South Fayette Students Taking the SAT:  94 (53 males and 41 females)

Top Ten Schools Where SAT Scores were Requested to be Sent by SF Students (note that not all students request scores be sent to colleges via the College Board):

1. Penn State University Park
2. University of Pittsburgh Main Campus
3. Duquesne University
4. Washington and Jefferson
5. Robert Morris University
6. Slippery Rock University
7. Grove City College
8. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
9. West Virginia University
10. Clarion University

PSSA SCORES

In August, the district received the results for the 2005-2006 PSSA assessments that were given in Reading, Writing, and Math.  Of the 42 school districts in Allegheny County, South Fayette High School 11th graders scored 10th in Reading and 8th in Math.  Of the 501 school districts in the state of Pennsylvania, our 11th graders scored 57th in Reading and 37th in Math.  Writing scores had not been returned at the time the rankings were announced.

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NATIONAL MERIT SEMI-FINALIST NAMED

Congratulations to Kaiting Chen, who has been named a Semi-Finalist in the 2007 National Merit Scholarship Program.  There were more than 1.4 million juniors who took the PSAT last year, and of those, only 16,000 were named Semi-Finalists!  Kaiting now has the opportunity to submit essays and documentation to qualify for Finalist status, and, if selected, he will be eligible to receive one of more than 8,000 scholarships which are offered by corporations, universities, etc. to select finalist candidates.  We wish Kaiting all the best as he advances in the program and congratulate him on his outstanding achievement of being named a 2007 National Merit Semi-Finalist.

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STUDENT GOVERNMENT, GRADE LEVELS ELECT OFFICERS

Congratulations and hats off to the elected officers of the high school Student Government for the 2006-2007 school year. These students will have the responsibility for leading the organization in the upcoming year:

Student Government Executive Board
President of Student Government: Jean Zhang
Vice-President of Student Government: Sarah Brown
Treasurer of Student Government: Bethany Darnley
Recording Secretary of Student Government: Doug Fleisner
Corresponding Secretary of Student Government: Elizabeth McCartney

Class of 2007
President: Rylan Collins
Vice-President: Danielle Winterhalter
Secretary-Treasurer: Kaiting Chen
Class Council Members: Alyssa DeYoung, Jessica Tedder

Class of 2008
President: Allison Supko
Vice-President: Leigh Ann Clark
Secretary-Treasurer: Bethany Drake
Class Council Members: Tara Talerico, Ben Rosati, Mike Venetti, Michael Mattarock

Class of 2009
President: Amanda Walasik
Vice-President: Shruti Valjee
Secretary-Treasurer: Claire Eckroate
Class Council Members: Monte Lyons, Daria Sakharova, Gary Fleisner, Becca Havers, Taylor Kline, Dave Weber

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STUDENTS SELECTED FOR 2006-2007 APPRENTICESHIPS

Congratulations to the following students who were selected for apprenticeships through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit for this school year and to our Enrichment Coordinator, Mrs. Mary Quirk, who helped the students with the application process:

Angelo Bartic – Architecture
Alyssa Bazala – Dance Academy - Pittsburgh C.L.O.
Meaghan Carr – Engineering – PA Society of Professional Engineers
Erin Cavey – Marine Biology – Fall Session
Patrick Chaussard – Civil and Environmental Engineering
Tabitha Clement – Short Fiction
Claire Eckroate – Acting
Lauren Holmes – Opera and Voice Coaching
Maxwell Morrow – Journalistic Writing/Reporting
Keri Putulowski – Dance Academy – Pittsburgh C.L.O.
Daria Sakharova – Zoo Animal Care – Fall Session
Amanda Smith – Acting
Shruti Valjee – Business
Michael Venetti – Broadcast Journalism
Amanda Walasik – Nursing
Cara Wise - Biotechnology

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GOOD NEWS DAY BY DAY

• August 15 – One of our students, Amanda Leonard, was featured on the cover and the           pages of the Tribune-Review modeling back-to-school clothes. 
• August 16 – Mr. Minkler published an article about the Class of 2006 in Nuclear Magazine.
• August 17 – Mr. McGowan received a certificate of excellence from the University of Pittsburgh for his partnership with them in the Phagehunters Program as part of his AP Biology class.
• August 18 – Mrs. Mackey secured the rights to Disney’s High School Musical, which will be presented for Fayette Follies!  This is quite a feat!  Congratulations, Mrs. Mackey!  We look forward to a fun time and a great production!
• August 20 –  We received word that we have again been selected for a $50,000 Project
                        720 Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education!
• August 22 – We welcomed a record number of students to the high school on the first day of school:  623!  Our enrollment on Day 1 was 154 in Grade 9, 174 in Grade 10, 134 in Grade 11, and 161 in Grade 12.
• August 23 – Melissa (Rubottom) Meyer’s lesson plan and quotes are featured in the September, 2006, edition of Discovery Education Magazine for incorporating videostreaming into her instruction in science.
• August 24 – Jeff McGowan is nominated for the Carnegie Science Center Award for Excellence for inspiring students to understand, appreciate, and apply science.
• August 25 – Seniors Meghan and Molly Murrer are pictured with a feature article on “back-to-school” trends in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• August 28 – We welcomed Peter Schepis from California University on his first day of student teaching with Don Sekelik!
• August 29 – Senior Kaiting Chen is named a National Merit Semi-Finalist!
• August 30 – Kevin Sutter’s youngest son, Scott, who is in 8th grade at Quaker Valley, was selected to co-host the McDonald’s Kid Zone Steelers pre-game show that airs on UPN on Sunday mornings beginning in September.  Coincidentally, Nicole Marchinsky’s husband, Mike, who works in Marketing for the Steelers, coordinates this program and selects the students who will be involved, as well as hosts the show on Sundays!  Small world!!  Congratulations to Scott Sutter for this exciting opportunity!  We’ll stay tuned!
• August 31 – Last year’s 11th graders ranked 8th in Allegheny County in Math and 10th in the county in Reading!  Similarly, out of 501 school districts in the state, last year’s 11th graders ranked 37th in Math and 57th in Reading.
• September 5 – Senior Jodi Barry, a very impressive scholar/athlete, is nominated for Duquesne University’s “Mind, Heart & Spirit” Award.  Jodi has the opportunity to be selected as a weekly winner at each Steelers home game and from the group of weekly winners, to win a $26,000 scholarship to Duquesne.  Good luck!
  September 7 – The Girls Soccer Team is highlighted in a feature article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• September 8 – Senor Cara Wise is nominated for the Principal’s Leadership Award, a national award from NAESSP (National Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals).
• September 11 – Staff members Vic Iagnemma, Kathy Macurak, Judy Gima, Bernie Mazzocco, and Gail Manko are re-certified as Red Cross Instructors and are able to teach classes on CPR/AED and First Aid.
• September 12 – The Little Green Machine wins the Allegheny County Labor Council Award, one of only 3 awards given to bands that participated in the Labor Day Parade in Pittsburgh.  Congratulations to Mr. Mackey and company!!

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HIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGS

• On Friday, September 8, the first ever all district pep rally was held in South Fayette Stadium.  Students from all three buildings were brought to the stadium on a sunny Friday afternoon to cheer for all of the Lions sports team.  The pep rally recognized all of our fall sports and the senior members of each team.  The athletic events were capped that evening by an exciting double overtime win as the Lions defeated the Charleroi Cougars on the gridiron.

• In conjunction with the pep rally on Friday, MC McKee, publisher of South Fayette & Neighbors magazine kicked off an exciting fundraising opportunity for the district.  Mrs. McKee explained the “Big Ben” Bar-B-Que sauce fundraiser and shared details of Ben Roethlisberger’s planned visit to South Fayette in the spring.  Details of the fundraiser were distributed to students on Monday, September 11.  All proceeds of the fundraiser will be split between South Fayette School District Athletics, South Fayette Township Athletics and a charity of Mr. Roethlisberger’s choice.
  
  
• On Monday, September 11, SFHS conducted a brief memorial service to mark the 5th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.   The service was broadcast to the student body over SFTV 3 and began at 8:46 a.m. to mark the time that United Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.  A brief video was shown and a moment of silence was held to honor the victims of that terrible day.

• On Wednesday, September 13, at 7:00 p.m. the high school Parent Advisory Council held its first meeting of the school year.  A new format for meetings is being introduced that will have each meeting focus on a specific topic of interest to high school parents.  The first meeting explained the Dual Enrollment Program that will be unveiled to students for the second semester of the 2006-2007 school year.  The program will allow junior and senior students to earn college credit while in high school.   All meetings are held in the High School Conference Center.  Please refer to the PAC flyer in this mailing for future meeting dates and topics.

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Calendar

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